Getting ready for Can Am and dealing with mud

Luckily the footing in the sand ring is starting to dry up so we're riding and trying to stay fit before going to Can Am this weekend to ride with Beth Underhill!

Sabio is sporting his new clip and we're making the most of flat work with transitions and patterns because the footing still isn't  great to jump on.

The farm is a bit of a muddy mess right now but we're excited to make some changes this year after the arena goes up.

Let us know if you have any success or failure stories on dealing with mud. From Facebook comments it looks like recycled asphalt could meet our needs in the high traffic areas.

Showing and clipping

Today we went to Trillium. ...hunters.... and discovered Sabio needed a clipping because of how sweaty he got. The clinic with Beth Underhill coming up I thought he would appreciate being cooler for exercise.

James decided to help out - take a look.

Sabio did well at the show. 4, 5, & 5 in the hacks...and we only went so we could ride in an indoor ring (because really we're jumpers) with good footing ....we cant wait for our indoor ring!

This is the year Dreams come true

There is so much starting to happen at PHH now that the weather is warming up. If everything goes according to plan, this will be the last winter we need to survive without an indoor ring J

We are still awaiting final timelines, but it looks like we will have a 250x80ft indoor arena going up and we will give you details as they become available. It’s been a goal and dream of mine to have my own indoor arena, and I am super excited for the building to start.

Easter Weekend is coming up soon – and we’ll be at the Can Am Equine Show at the Markham Fairgrounds (http://canamequine.com/). I’ve been selected to ride in a demonstration lesson with Olympic Show Jumper Beth Underhill April 3-5 at the show. This is so exciting for me because I’ve been a fan of Beth’s since I was a little girl watching her win the Shell Cup Derby at Spruce Meadows many years ago aboard her 22 yr old gelding named Monopoly.

I was so inspired I even painted my Barbie horse like Monopoly – it is so exciting to be riding with Beth many years later. If you want to come watch you can expect to see me riding Sabio around lunchtime in the main ring all 3 days of the show.

For an exciting seasonal goal, I’ve purchased two off the track Thoroughbreds for the Retired Race Horse Project’s Throughbred Makeover Contest (http://www.retiredracehorseproject.org/2015-thoroughbred-makeover). This is a show that is hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park in Kentucky, US. This is also a dream of mine to ride at Kentucky Horse Park – I visited there on a family trip when I was younger. I found it an amazing place and can’t believe I’ll be showing there later this year! The show has over 330 horses entered already and is only accepting a few more – it is going to be a busy event!

The horses I will be bringing – Kahleesi and Cupid – have begun some natural horsemanship foundation training and are making great progress despite the challenges from weather. Kaheelsi is a super smart 8 yr old grey mare that I think is going to excel in jumping, and barrel racing. Cupid is a 7 yr old chestnut gelding that is super laid back and pokey… despite being purchased fresh off the track from Ohio in February. I think he is going to do well in hunters and trail class. Either way I am excited to take them to Kentucky and am so thrilled that several students have already booked their hotel rooms to come down and cheer us on for the events.

Learn more and see pictures of Cupid here: http://partridgehorsehill.com/Cupid.html

Learn more and see pictures of Kahleesi here:  http://partridgehorsehill.com/kahleesi.html

James helps with training :)

We have two new Fjord ponies in for training that I'm keeping busy with. James decided he'd help me out and take part in some training.
Check out this cute photo of James chilling with Kirk while he waits for his turn in the ring.
It certainly helps to have the next horse ready to learn, and while waiting Kirk got some quality non demanding time which is important for horses that get overwhelmed or think people always want something.

An unusual mouth

Cupid had a fun visit with the dentist this week!

Did you know a horse should only have 6  teeth on the lower jaw but somehow Cupid has 8!

We were just as surprised as you are and the vet even took pictures because she'd never seen it before.

We knew Cupid was special but didnt know he was that special :)

After some much needed dental work he is feeling and doing better....he is very happy to have been bought by PHH!

Farm for sale

 So we've decided to post our farm for sale - and I'm guessing the first thing that comes to your mind is probably why the heck would they do that? They are getting their indoor arena soon!

Well you are right - but there are multiple pieces to the puzzle. Let us give you a little glimpse at future plans for PHH.

First off we love our farm and we love the location - the access to trails and horse swimming is amazing, being on a main road that is always ploughed in a timely manner is also a big perk since James and I are commuters and need to get to work on time, and of course all the work we've put into this place. We would like to sell but won't be upset if we end up here longer.

The primary reason for selling is because we are looking to go even bigger - we have a very big program of boarding and lessons that is busting at the seems and begging for more acres to spread it's wings. We also would like a bigger house.

When we bought PHH we knew it was a starter farm but it was our first farm together, it was a test run, and it within our budget at the time. We didn't realize how quickly we would grow. Now we know we can run a big farm, and our budget is bigger so we are ready to go bigger.

Why now? With the indoor arena coming we know there will be a lot of choices and changes needed - we will need to redesign paddock spaces, we will be choosing door openings, where to relocate shelters, etc.... so now actually makes for a great time for someone to buy because they could make some decisions for what the farm would look like.

For example we plan to move the big giant shelter from 'paddock 2' in front of the new arena for more hay storage, but someone else might want it placed in a paddock as a horse shelter.... this is something that is relatively easy to do while the big crane is at the farm building the arena, but once it's done it would be very expensive to move.

For those that take part in PHH activities, we can tell you we plan to continue services in a similar location - we like Kawartha Lakes but also have to be close to work in Whitby. We will only move to a bigger farm, so you can be assured our services will not shrink - and where ever we go we will make sure there is an indoor arena.

So I hope you can understand why we are now up for sale - and not be panicked about it :)

For anyone interested in the farm for sale, please contact our agent at <tyler.philp@century21.ca>

Some farm highlights:

• 250x80ft indoor arena coming soon (as soon as the ground thaws)
• 7 stall barn plus feed/locker room
• New flex rail with electric fencing
• Hydro and water out to 3 paddocks
• 8 shelters
• 2+2 bedroom home with 2 full washrooms
• 14 camera video system you can watch in colour on your phone
• Sand ring and round pen with lights
• Barn roof was done 2 years ago
• House roof has lifetime warranty
• New wood laminate in the living room and basement bedroom
• Kohler and Toto toilets
• New Bosch dishwasher
• Natural gas
• New high efficiency gas furnace
• air conditioning 
• Newly fenced backyard with black chainlink
• Certified wood stove
• Upgraded faucets 
• Massive bathroom (seriously huge) with jacuzzi tub 

Corgi puppies are now 6 weeks

Now that the puppies are getting older they are getting super playful and cute!

They are developing their routine - they go out in the morning (they only survive about 5 minutes in this cold), to do their 'business' and then they come inside and get to play in the bathroom and hallway area. They don't get the full run of the house or I fear they would destroy the house.... sometimes they sneak into the bedroom though :)

Then they go into their 'pool' for the day for a nap and meal. Around 4:30pm we repeat the outside and play time for about an hour, then back to the pool. We do a final repeat at around 9pm until bedtime.

During their play time in the hall/bathroom they sure love to have lots of fun and some adorable moments are caught on tape.

Check them out:

Corgi pups are now nearly 5 weeks old and simply adorable!!

I just wanted to share with you some adorable footage of our nearly 5 week old Corgi pups. They are simply adorable.

They are now all sold and we are taking a waiting list for a next litter - which will be Molly some time in spring/early summer.

Raising pups is a lot of work as they are sneaky little guys and need lots of love, attention, and cleaning up but it's certainly worth it look at those crazy cute faces.

Check this out:

Having fun with a musical ride at PHH

2 years in a row PHH has made a fun musical ride. In 2013 it was during the advanced teen week of summer camp, and this year it was a few keen students with Lindsey that showcased their ride during the season finale horse show at PHH.

Different this year we incorporated ground games into our musical routine. It was an interesting mix of horses and riders. 

Let me introduce you to the team on the 2014 musical ride:

• -        Lindsey & Balius: Lindsey (me) is the owner of PHH and experienced horse professional, paired with the least experienced horse in the group Balius. Balius is an all-around goof ball. He loves to play and definitely has a cheeky streak. I’ve had him since he was 4mths old and now he is 4 years old…. But he is barely started under saddle as I was always putting miles on other people’s horses instead of him. Being part of the musical ride team with Balius was one of my ways to help start putting regular play time with my baby guy every week. He developed a lot over weeks of practice J
• -        Christina & Thetis: Christina came to us through our summer camp program and during her 2^nd year with us partnered with Thetis. Thetis is probably the best trained horse on the farm and can do some high level Parelli tasks… but she is also challenging in her own way with a high energy level, sensitivity and sass towards other horses. Thetis is the off the track TB of the group that shows us that a race horse can learn new tricks J
• -        Caileigh & Arrowyn: Caileigh often nick names herself the clown of the group. She is an experienced hunter competitor but new to natural horsemanship and ground games when she started with us earlier this year. She’s still getting used to the ropes and ground games, but it all came together for the final ride. Arrowyn is the story of a neglected horse, she was a pasture ornament that didn’t do much until she came to us. She then went out on trial and mysteriously came back with a rearing problem. Caileigh spent the summer rehabilitating her and developed a strong connection with her. They showcase their skills beautifully together.
• -        Maya & Rose: Maya also found PHH through our kids summer camp. She has a need for speed and loves the jumper ring. Rose and Maya competed with success in the bronze jumper shows and also diversified their talents with ground games and bareback riding. Maya does the whole pattern with no saddle J
• -        Danica & Dreamer: Danica has been a coach with PHH for 2 years now and really has developed her skills with natural horsemanship. She now has the perfect partner in Dreamer, our QH gelding with the sweetest personality and  sensitive buttons. They do a great job of rounding out the team with some finesse to their movements J

Thanks for watching our musical ride highlights of 2014!

Just Another day as a Corgi Grandma

Caring for puppies is such an adorable and sometimes messy job.... but the adorable cuteness factor definitely outweighs the work!

Today Lona's pups are 22 days old. Their eyes are open and they are getting a lot more mobile. We hear adorable squeaks and noises as they play and wrestle with each other.

Check out this incredibly cute video:

Currently we have sold King and Neeta. That means we have 2 males and 2 females still available - let us know if you are interested.